


Of Nightmares and Memories

by A_Single_Tulip



Category: Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fear of Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Nightmares, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 06:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21405418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Single_Tulip/pseuds/A_Single_Tulip
Summary: Why is Herbert West so laser focused on finding a "cure" for death? That itself is a question that Dan Cain often asks himself. Perhaps he'll get his answer, just not the kind he expected.
Relationships: Daniel Cain/Herbert West
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41
Collections: Fav fics





	Of Nightmares and Memories

**Author's Note:**

> It has certainly been awhile since I've posted anything! This fic has been a WIP in my documents for a few weeks now, and I've finally managed to finish it up. I've also noticed that I've made Herbert a tea drinker now. This one's not as long as what I usually write, but I hope you guys enjoy it either way!

What prompted Herbert West to make an attempt at finding the “cure” for death? The question itself was one that, surprisingly enough, had only been asked a small number of times. Dan, being the ever so curious type, had been the one to ask him said question. From Herbert’s reaction to it though, it seemed as though perhaps he was the only one to ask. In spite of being...more than just lab partners, not everything had been entirely revealed between them. Herbert though...well, he was a bit of an enigma. Always leaving behind more questions than answers for those who spoke to him. Dan didn’t mind though, figuring that he’d elaborate more on himself when he was ready. This question though, on what the root of his obsession was, nearly found itself eating away at Dan’s mind.

Their last conversation regarding the topic was brief, as well as a bit snippish on Herbert’s end. Although the brunette was almost always aloof in some way, he never really purposely found himself trying to purposely be cruel towards Dan...at least, not since the start of their relationship. His reaction though to the question was quite dismissive, if not a bit on the ill-tempered side. “Why would you ask such a stupid question when I’m right in the middle of running tests? Drop it, Daniel, I need to focus,” was the answer he got.

Herbert later apologized that evening as they laid together beneath the covers of Dan’s bed, simply blaming his mood on lack of sleep. Dan chose not to press the matter again at that moment, merely kissing him on the forehead before chiding him for always staying up so late. Dan wasn’t stupid though. He knew that whatever the reason behind Herbert’s experiments was...that it was obviously a sore subject. In the end, he relented, telling him that when the time was right that Herbert would tell him exactly why he’s done the things he did in the past and even today. When the time came for that though, it was actually quite unprecedented.

It was a stuffy summer night, with both of them in the middle of sleeping when Dan stirred at the sudden feeling of movement beside him. Well, more so like thrashing. Eyes shooting open, he sat up in bed to find Herbert moving around, mumbling incoherent ramblings in his sleep as his face contorted into an expression that Dan rarely saw on his face. Fear. His breathing was harsh, beads of sweat forming across skin as Dan immediately found himself enveloping the man into his arms, as to make sure he didn’t accidentally hurt himself with all his moving around.

“Herb, Herb, wake up.” He whisper-shouted into Herbert’s ear, gently stroking his hair while rocking him back and forth.

A gasp left the man as his own eyes opened wide, looking around wildly as he made an attempt to scramble away, only to be held firmly in Dan’s arms. “Let me go, let me go, I didn’t do anything wrong!” He cried out, eyes watering.

“Hey, hey, hey...Herbert it’s just me, I’m not gonna hurt you, honey…” Dan reassured, clutching Herbert’s shaking form against him.

“D..Danny?...” Herbert asked, looking up to finally meet Dan’s eyes. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, so his eyes were in full view, a pair of emeralds glossed over and shiny as they were on the brink of tears.

“Yeah, it’s me…” Dan reassured once more with a smile that soon changed to a look of concern. “Herb, honey, what’s wrong?...” He asked, raising a hand to gently wipe the other’s eyes before placing a kiss to his hair.

Herbert was silent, no longer meeting Dan’s eyes as he stared down at the bedsheets, chin dipping into his collar. Dan knew that once Herbert clammed up, it took quite a bit of coaxing to get him to talk once more. He knew one thing that managed to get him nice and relaxed.

“Why don’t we talk about it over a nice warm cup of tea, hm?” Dan ran a hand through Herbert’s hair before gently picking his chin up to look at his face as he asked this, his voice a low but soft whisper.

Herbert’s eyes met Dan’s once again, and he gave a small nod.

“Alright then…” Dan replied, reaching over to the bedside table to retrieve Herbert’s glasses before gently placing them on to his face. “Shall we?”

And with that, Dan took Herbert by the hand, slowly leading him from the bed and out of his room to the living room, sitting him down on the couch and covering him in a blanket. “Stay here a moment,” He said, turning around only to feel a hand tightly grip his wrist. He turned, meeting Herbert’s eyes, the look in them begging him to not leave. “I’ll be right back...promise.” He placed a small kiss to the man’s hand, who eventually released him, curling inwards into the blanket that covered him.

Bare feet quietly tapped against the wooden floor as Dan walked towards the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he opened the cupboard, eyes scanning over the different boxes of tea that Herbert had acquired. His eyes settled upon a box of chamomile, outstretching a hand to retrieve it before opening it up. He liked the smell...like most scents that came from tea, it reminded him of Herbert. Setting the box aside, he picked up the kettle, filling it up with water before placing it upon the stove.

“Doing alright over there, love?” Dan asked, looking over his shoulders towards Herbert’s general direction.

At this point, Herbert had managed to almost completely wrap himself in the blanket, his eyes and the bridge of his nose being the only visible thing at this point. A small nod was sent towards Dan’s way, followed by a tiny sniffle.

“Just checking,” Dan gave a small smile, before turning to look for some mugs. Opening the upper cabinet door, he retrieved two mugs. He looked down, realizing he’d grabbed a mug he’d gotten for Herbert not too long ago as a gift. His smile grew slightly, placing the mug down onto the counter. He’d actually found it at a thrift store at the time, a bit of a novelty item that he thought Herbert would probably disregard with annoyance. Quite the opposite occurred. He’d never forget Herbert’s face as he read aloud to himself off the mug, “You are a Cutea” with a small picture of a smiling teapot. The soft smile adorning his usually serious features left a flutter in Dan’s heart. Opening up the box of tea, he dropped a single tea bag in both mugs, waiting for the water to boil.

“Why are you so nice to me when I’ve always been so cruel, Daniel?”

Dan’s head turned around at the sound of Herbert’s voice cutting through the silence. Slowly, he walked his way back over to where Hebert sat on the couch, kneeling in front of him.

“You’re not cruel...you’re just different...your beautiful mind is like no other, and sometimes it gets wound up a bit...but I love how different your mind is. It makes my life less dull, and more enjoyable…”

Herbert stared back at Dan, eyes red and puffy. “You...You always know what to say to make me feel better. It’s been a long time since someone’s shown me such kindness…”

“Then shame on the world...Herbert West, you deserve only the best…” Dan replied, leaning forward to press a small kiss to the bridge of Herbert’s nose.

A laugh came from Herbert, his face growing warm before responding, “Might I remind you Daniel, that you have water boiling on the stove.”

Dan chuckled, standing from his kneeling position to go take the kettle off the stove. It was at the right temperature, not too hot, but just warm enough to probably ease even the most stressful of minds. Stepping to the side, he poured the water into the mugs.

“I know you like honey, but do you want any cream as well?” He called out, reaching for the jar of honey they kept on the shelf.

“Yes please…” Herbert softly called back, still seated and wrapped in his cocoon.

Walking over to the fridge, Dan opened the door, eyes squinted as he scanned the perimeter, landing on the carton of creamer. Retrieving it, he closed the fridge door once more before walking back to the mugs of tea, now beginning to cool.

After adding a dash of cream and a spoon full of honey to eat mug, he stirred them a moment before placing the items back where they’d previously been, picking up the mugs and making his way back over towards the couch. He placed his mug onto the coffee table a moment, handing Herbert his own who immediately took a sip, a sigh escaping him. He murmured a small thank you.

“You’re welcome...now…” Dan replied softly. “Care to tell me what’s wrong?...You don’t have to, we can just sit together in silence, but I just want you to know that I’m always here to listen to you. It sounded like you were having quite the nightmare.”

Herbert stared down into his mug for a moment. “I…” He looked to Dan, “I wonder...is something truly a nightmare, if it actually happened? If it’s a memory playing over and over again in your mind, warping itself more and more as time goes on?...”

“Herbert, tell me, what happened?...” Dan urged, still speaking softly as he placed his hand over Herbert’s.

“I was probably...nine, maybe ten years old at the time. My...My father was never the kindest man growing up, always strict with his rules. No going into his study, no making too much noise whenever he was working. Whenever he got upset, his temper flared greatly, and he found no trouble in taking it out on myself or my mother. One night, he grew particularly cross. Mother and him were arguing over something, I don’t even remember what it was. I was hiding in my bedroom, watching them from the crack of my doorway when I saw him...push her. He pushed her, and she stepped backwards, her foot slipping as she tumbled down the stairs.” He looked to Dan, eyes watering once again.

“He didn’t even flinch, Dan...just cursing under his breath...before realizing I was watching. I, I locked myself in my room, and he just banged and banged on the door, shouting my name. It felt like an eternity before police arrived, a neighbor had made a noise complaint, and asked for them to do a wellness check. I was so scared to come out that they had to have someone pick the lock of my bedroom door. When they were taking me downstairs, I saw a white tarp near the bottom, obscuring a form beneath it. I’d never seen anything like it, and yet, I simultaneously knew exactly what was beneath it. I was numb, having wasted all my tears fearing for my life that I didn’t have any left for my mother. It was essentially an open and close case, considering that he was dumb enough to try and get to me instead of fleeing. They sent me to live with my Aunt in a completely different state, where I lived in a completely different neighborhood and went to a completely different school.”

Dan silently listened to Herbert as he spoke, lightly brushing his thumb over his hand.

“I've never truly been the type to go out to make friends, but...in a small town, words travel faster than light, and before I knew it my peers had alienated me before I even had the chance to introduce myself. The only person who ever truly knew me had been my mother, and I lost her...which I suppose was why I vowed to find a way to reverse the effects of death. So that I, as well as anyone else, didn't have to feel the pain of losing someone important ever again."

Herbert finally set his mug on the table next to Dan's, blinking once as tears ran down his cheeks before he turned to face Dan. "That's why I'm so adamant about perfecting my serum, Daniel...I don't have many people in my life who are important to me these days...except for you, and, and I can't go through losing anyone again I can't." His voice, as well as his body, was shaking at this point while he clutched his hands to chest as fists.

"Herbert, I'm not going anywhere, I promise-"

"But you don't know that, Dan!" Herbert shouted, cutting off Dan. "We don't know if you'll make it to eighty, or die suddenly from an underlying condition at thirty-five, and I don't know if I'll have my serum perfected enough to bring back the real you! Because I love you! I love you so damn much and I can't stand the idea of not having you with me!"

Dan was silent once again, features softening as he opened his arms, an offer he'd given to Herbert many times. He was unsurprised when the man practically launched himself forward to grapple on to him, letting out a small sob into his chest. He gently hushed him, rubbing a hand up and down his back, whispering small affirmations while his smaller frame shook with each sob.

They were there for a good moment, as Herbert clutched on to Dan, as though he were afraid he might disappear if he let him go. Finally, he pulled away, taking his glasses off of his face to wipe his eyes. Dan reached a hand forward, thumb carefully brushing a tear off his cheek.

"I must look awfully foolish right now, huh?" Herbert muttered, looking away from Dan.

"No, you don't...you look like a man who's finally found the courage to talk about something he needed to get off his chest. I'm proud of you...and I love you." Dan leaned forward, pressing a small, but meaningful kiss to Herbert's lips. "Now...do you wanna head back to bed, or lay here just a bit longer?"

"I'd like to stay here just a little while longer…" He murmured softly into Dan's chest.

Dan nodded, placing Herbert's glasses on to the coffee table before slowly laying himself down on the couch, allowing Herbert to rest atop him with his head settled into the crook of his neck. He could help but smile at the sensation of a small kiss being placed against his skin.

"I love you, Dan…" He heard a voice whisper.

"I love you, too, Herbert…" He whispered back, hand still running itself up and down the other's back as they laid there, finding comfort in each other's warmth. It was nice, and for Herbert it made him forget about his nightmares, and the thought of losing Dan. He was right there with him, and he was going absolutely nowhere. He'd promised.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked the fic, be sure to leave a kudos, and tell me what you thought in the comments! I always appreciate the feedback 😄❤


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